Diesel fuel, jet fuel, and gasoline are petroleum products derived from crude oil. Crude oil is, of course, a non-renewable resource of finite supply. Accordingly, extensive research effort is now being directed toward replacing some or all petroleum-based diesel fuel with either a fuel derived from a renewable source such as farm crops (biodiesel) or a fuel derived from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (syntroleum). For example, research is being conducted on replacing gasoline and diesel fuel with gasoline/ethanol and diesel fuel/ethanol blends.
There are problems associated with gasoline/ethanol and diesel fuel/ethanol blends. With gasoline/ethanol blends, the relatively high vapor pressure of the ethanol can be problematic, particularly when starting a car in the wintertime. With diesel/ethanol blends, the lower energy output of the ethanol (i.e., lower cetane value) makes the resulting fuel less than optimal.
Unlike regular diesel fuel, marine diesel oil contains some heavy fuel oil, and sometimes contains waste products such as used motor oil. While marine diesel engines are reliable and fuel efficient, they also produce relatively high levels of particulate emissions, up to fifty times more than gasoline engines. These emissions add to the visible pollution attributable to shipping, and adversely affect air quality. The particulate emissions associated with marine diesel are so significant that efforts are underway to find ways to minimize these emissions. It would be advantageous to provide alternative marine diesel oil compositions that provide less particulate emissions.
Jet fuel is a mixture of a variety of compounds, including hydrocarbons such as cycloparaffins, n-paraffins, isoparaffins, and aromatics, typically in the range of C5-20, such as naphthalenes and alkylbenzenes, and, occasionally, oxygenates such as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, which are used as icing inhibitors. The range of hydrocarbons in jet fuel typically ranges from C5-15, although hydrocarbons above C15 can also be used. Significant efforts have been undertaken to provide renewable compositions that can replace all or part of jet fuel.
It is known that JP-8, a type of jet fuel commonly used by the U.S. military, induces dermal immunotoxicity. JP-8 is produced from commercial Jet-A fuel by blending in an additive package containing diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, (DiEGME) as an anti-icing compound. It has been suggested that DiEGME is a dermal immunotoxin, and may be involved in JP-8-induced immune suppression. It would be advantageous to provide alternative de-icing compositions, particularly those which are renewable and which are not associated with immune suppression.
Fuel additives are marketed directly to retail consumers, usually in single or dual-use sized containers of approximately 12 fl oz for between $1.75 to $5 (a price equivalent to $18.66 to $53 per gallon). They are advertised as improving fuel efficiency and increasing gas mileage. They are sold at large-scale retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, gas station-affiliated convenience stores, and elsewhere. One well-known example of such products is the STP® line, owned by Clorox Corp. Fuel additives produced by STP include “Gas Treatment”, “Super Concentrated Gas Treatment”, “Complete Fuel System Cleaner”, “Super Concentrated Fuel Injection Cleaner”, “Fuel Injector and Carburetor”, “Octane Performance Booster”, “All Season Water Remover”, “Diesel Fuel Treatment & Injector Cleaner”, and “Lead Substitute”. Other well-known lines of fuel additive products include Prestone, Marvel Mystery Oil, and Valvoline (Pyroil). Such products are marketed to help restore lost fuel efficiency, keep fuel intake systems clean, and restore lost horsepower.
These products contain primarily petroleum-based components. For example, STP's Octane Performance Booster contains, in addition to a trade-secret additive, naphthalene; 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene; Mesitylene; Xylene; Petroleum Distillates (JP5 jet fuel); Stoddard Solvent; Kerosene, petroleum, hydrodesulfurized; Solvent Naptha, petroleum, medium aliphatic; and, Solvent Naphtha, petroleum, light aromatic.
These products tend to function by improving engine performance, rather than by improving the effectiveness of the fuel itself. For example, STP's “Super Concentrated Gas Treatment” dissolves deposits that may accumulate in the fuel system (including fuel injectors, intake valves, and carburetor). All engines develop combustion chamber deposits that can lead to the engine needing higher-octane gasoline than recommended by the manufacturer to operate efficiently. STP's “Octane Performance Booster” helps remove combustion chamber deposits to reduce an engine's appetite for higher-octane gasoline, reducing knocking and pinging, and restoring lost performance.
In some cases, these retail additives are intended for consumers affected by changes in the national gasoline market. For example, lead began to be phased out of gasoline sold in the U.S. beginning in the 1970's. A product such as STP's “Lead Substitute” can be mixed with unleaded gasoline to allow such gasoline's use in older cars that would otherwise have required leaded gasoline. Such products allow older cars to operate properly in an environment where the optimal fuel is not readily available.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/gasave.htm), “no government agency endorses gas-saving products for cars. The most that can be claimed in advertising is that the EPA has reached certain conclusions about possible gas savings by testing the product or by evaluating the manufacturer's own test data.”
It would be advantageous to provide alternative fuels and fuel additive compositions, for use in gasoline, diesel, marine diesel, and jet engines. It would further be advantageous to provide alternative fuels which overcome the limitations of current gasoline/ethanol and diesel/ethanol blends. The present invention provides such alternative fuel and fuel additive compositions, and methods for producing same.